Hundreds more homes were tonight at risk of flooding as the South of England faced more heavy rain and strong winds.

The Environment Agency said it was working closely with the emergency services along the River Thames, where the most severe flood risks are located.

The severe weather which has hit the UK, resulting in large areas of flooding on the Somerset Levels, shows little chance of easing until next week.

And these shocking aerial photographs show the true chaos and damage caused by the extreme weather in the South over the past few months.

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From above: Aerial view showing flooding covering Shepperton, Surrey. The Thames has hit record levels causing extensive flooding to parts of the South-East

Bend in the river: Other aerial views showing flooding covering properties in Shepperton

Wet wet wet: Aerial view showing flooding at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire where the River Thames has burst its banks

Aerial view: Water surrounds flooded properties in the village of Moorland on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater

Has he almost been defeated? Sam Notaro, 40, who built a 5ft high earth mound to protect his home from the flood water in Moorland, Somerset, is losing his battle after water began seeping through. The 40-year-old told Channel 4 News: 'We hope to win, we're trying to save the house... we've just got to try, it's the only thing we can do'

Still just as bad: Flood water continues to cover farmland on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater

Water everywhere: Flood water continues to cover farmland close to James Winslade's West Yeo Farm and Newhouse Farm in Moorland on the Somerset Levels

Network Rail - which was forced to
cancel services in Berkshire today - said disruption to lines and
infrastructure could take months to resolve.

Some
900 properties have flooded since the end of last week, the EA said,
and hundreds more will do so by Thursday - amid more rain and strong
winds.

The EA has 16 severe flood warnings - warning of a threat to life - out in southern England, with 14 of these along the Thames.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY BOSS LORD SMITH ON FLOODING RESPONSE

On Eric Pickles criticising the EA: ‘I have heard what Pickles had to say. I have kept my council up until now. When I heard someone criticise the experience and professionalism of my staff in the EA - who know more about flood risk management than anyone else - I am afraid I am not going to sit back and listen’

On the EA’s response to floods: ‘The EA is bound by the Treasury. It is bound by the rules that are laid down by Government… The situation has changed now. The Government has said some of the rules will not apply to the Levels'

On his staff: ‘We have enormously dedicated, professional staff who are working their hearts out. They are dedicated and professional and have been out every day. Some are still there now. My staff know 100 times more than any politician about flood risk’

On his position: ‘I have no inclination of resigning. Some staff have contacted me and said please do not resign.’

On dredging: ‘It is not the comprehensive answer. It is not a wholesale solution. We need to look at other options. [Dredging] will make some contribution, but it has to be only part of a much more comprehensive solution.’

On politicians’ response: 'What really saddens me is seeing the Environment Agency's work and expertise in flood-risk management, internationally respected and locally praised in many parts of the country, being used as a political football for a good media story’

He also squarely blamed Treasury
funding rules for failure to dredge rivers, and again insisted he had no
intention of resigning.

The intervention, in an interview with
BBC Radio 4's Today programme, came after Mr Pickles issued a barbed
apology for taking EA advice - saying ministers had ‘thought we were
dealing with experts’.

Lord Smith said he had ‘kept his counsel’ up until now over Government funding and rules.

‘When
I hear someone criticising the expertise and professionalism of my
staff in the Environment Agency who know more about flood risk
management - 100 times more about flood risk management - than any
politician ever does, I am not, I'm afraid, going to sit idly by,’ he
said.

‘The EA is bound by
the rules that are laid down by the Government. So when someone says
that we followed the advice of the EA, what they were actually doing is
following the Treasury rules that say how much we can spend and how much
we cannot spend on any individual flood defence scheme.’

The former Labour Cabinet minister
said the EA was previously permitted to allocate only £400,000 to
Somerset, and no other funding came forward.

‘The
situation now has completely changed because not only has the
Government come up with some extra money for Somerset, but they have
said the Treasury rules won't apply to Somerset.’

He added that ‘money absolutely is a big part of the issue’.

Lord
Smith was asked about reports that Environment Secretary Owen Paterson,
who was leading the Government flooding response before being forced to
undergo an eye operation, complained to Downing Street about Mr
Pickles' criticism of the EA.

‘I
have indeed spoken with Owen Paterson by text... he has been hugely
supportive throughout of the Environment Agency, its staff and its work
and I very much appreciate that.’

The
peer defended the quango's handling of the situation and also issued a
furious broadside at what he said were attempts by politicians to
undermine the work and reputation of the Agency in a bid to secure
better media coverage.

'What really saddens me, though, is seeing the Environment Agency's work and expertise in flood-risk management, internationally respected and locally praised in many parts of the country, being used as a political football for a good media story,' he wrote in an article for The Guardian.

‘In a lifetime in public life, I've never seen the same sort of storm of background briefing, personal sniping and media frenzy getting in the way of decent people doing a valiant job trying to cope with unprecedented natural forces.

‘Our staff have worked their hearts out in order to protect as many people as possible in the face of extreme weather. They'll carry on doing so. But there's no place for playing politics in the serious business of flood protection.’

A spokesman for Mr Paterson denied any split with Mr Pickles. 'Owen and Eric both agree there should have been more dredging in Somerset,' she said. 'They are working closely to deal with the problems caused by floods and severe weather - and to help the businesses and families affected.'

Repeated calls for dredging were made to Downing Street and other Whitehall departments by farmers and others in the Somerset region from at least six months ago but funding was declined.

Mr Pickles has blamed faulty Agency
advice for the scale of the damage to the Somerset Levels and declined
to dismiss calls for the former Labour cabinet minister to resign.

‘We
made a mistake, there's no doubt about that and we perhaps relied too
much on the Environment Agency's advice,’ Mr Pickles told BBC1's Andrew
Marr Show yesterday. ‘I am really sorry that we took the advice ... we thought we were dealing with experts.’

But Lord Smith pointed the finger of blame for the failure to sufficiently dredge rivers at Treasury funding rules. He said a Treasury-imposed
‘benefit-to-cost’ rule had limited the sum the EA had been able to
devote to dredging the silted-up rivers which failed to drain the Levels
properly.

Dangerous: A mother with a pram and another child got a soaking as heavy winds and huge waves battered Chesil Beach in Dorset

Almost invisible: The mother and children were complete soaked by the huge waves crashing over the sea wall at Chesil Beach in Dorset

Close to the Queen: Home Park next Windsor Castle was under water today due to flooding near the River Thames in Berkshire

Problems: The village green os under water after the River Thames burst its banks in Datchet, Berkshire. The Environment Agency has issued severe flood warnings

Transport method: A home owner's boat sits outside his house after flood water continues to rise after the river Thames burst its banks in Datchet

Waist high: A local resident makes her way through flood water in Shepperton, Middlesex

Motoring on: A resident drives his Ferrari car through flood water in Wraybury, Berkshire, as water levels along some stretches of the Thames reach record levels

Difficult time: A man walks through flood water in Datchet, Berkshire, which has been badly hit after the Thames burst its banks

Time to go: Residents leave their flood-affected home adjacent to the river Thames in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey

Helping out: Members of the fire brigade make their way into Old Windsor to assist with evacuations

RAIL CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS

First Great Western: Oxford and Didcot / Bridgwater and Taunton / Taunton and Penzance

Greater Anglia: Shenfield and London Liverpool Street

London Midland: Longbridge and Birmingham / Stafford

South West Trains: Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside / Eastleigh and Fareham

Southeastern: Hastings to Tunbridge Wells / Tonbridge and Hastings

Southern: Oxted and Woldingham

Areas of Britain where train delays have been reported on the National Rail website today

‘So when politicians start saying it's
Environment Agency advice or decisions that are to blame, they need to
realise that it's in fact government rules - laid down by successive
governments, Labour and Tory - that are at the heart of the problem.’

Lord Smith admitted the agency ‘probably didn't push hard
enough’ to make sure dredging took place and should have done more to ‘twist
arms’.

He said: "What we could have done, and I'm sorry we
probably didn't push hard enough, was to twist arms of the other partners,
people like the local authorities, the drainage boards, landowners and so on,
to come to the table when we did a year ago with the £400,000 that the Treasury
allowed us to, in order to come together to start that dredging work on the
Tone and the Parrett.

‘We probably should have done more to twist those arms but
we were entirely in the hands of the decision-making of those other
bodies."

Lord Smith said he ‘absolutely’ knew at the time that the
money allocated to the EA was not enough.

‘We knew that the cost of dredging would be £3-4 million, we
were able to contribute that initial 10% but we needed other partners to step
up to the plate as well. I should have done more to twist those arms, yes, but
it was their decision, it wasn't ours.’

As politicians traded blows on the
political fall-out from the disaster, police were investigating whether
seven-year-old Zane Gbangbola, who died after falling ill in his
flood-hit home in Chertsey, Surrey, may have become a victim of the
floods.

Officers have
refused to be drawn on whether carbon monoxide poisoning from a
generator pumping out flood water from his home may have been to blame,
which also saw his parents, Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler, taken ill.

Meanwhile, a missing kayaker was found dead today nearly 24 hours after being swept away on a swollen river in the Welsh countryside. Gareth Lockyer, 34, was seen getting into difficulty on the River Usk at Llangynidr, near Crickhowell, Powys, after a kayaking outing.

Mr Lockyer’s ‘devastated’ family paid
tribute to the keen kayaker, mountain biker and hill walker. He went to
the University of Nottingham where he graduated in engineering in 2004
and worked as a mechanical design engineer for power company Alstom in
Rugby, Warwickshire.

Cutting through: Flood water surrounds the main railway line on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater

In trouble: Workers continue to build flood defences around Moorland resident Sam Notaro's house (top) in the flooded village of Moorland

Thousands of acres of land underwater: Flooded propeties are seen as water surrounds the village of Moorland on the Somerset Levels near Bridgwater

Work: Hesco Bastion Units being filled with aggregate and used as flood defence in Aller, Somerset. The same units have been used by the military in Afghanistan

Thumbs up: Royal Marine Commandos setting up Hesco Bastion Units to be used as flood defences in Aller, Somerset

Rising up: Flood water washing over Beer Wall near Othery, Somerset, which lies between Bridgwater and Glastonbury

Water surrounds flooded properties including this camper van in the village of Moorland in the Somerset Levels

A family spokesman said: ‘Gareth was always watching out for other people, putting others before himself. He has been described by his family as being kind, caring and gentle. He was a member of the Cub Scouts and then the Scouts which is where he started canoeing.'

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue service said the kayaker was experienced and also had all the correct safety equipment. The Welsh Ambulance Service, a sniffer dog, Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, the RAF and fire crews are also involved in the search.

There are more than 230 low-level flood
alerts and more than 140 medium-risk warnings in place across Wales and
central and southern England with severe weather expected throughout the
week.

The Met Office warned that river levels
are expected to continue rising along the Thames, the Severn and the
Dorset Stour this week. Somerset
County Council staff have worked alongside Royal Marines
from 40 Commando throughout the weekend to prepare a further 20,000
sandbags for use.

A Ministry
of Defence spokesman said: ‘Military personnel, currently mostly Royal
Marines, continue to provide support in Somerset in areas affected by
floods as part of cross-Government and multi-agency relief efforts.

Tricky conditions: A young man cycles through flood water after the River Thames burst its banks in Datchet, Berkshire

Fun for some: Maddie and Bella are taken to
school by their father James at their home in Shepperton, Middlesex
(left), while another local man carries a suitcase

Carried: A girl gets a piggy-back from a man through flood water in Datchet, Berkshire, which has been flooded - closing the railway line and several roads

Wide shot: A panoramic view of the flooding in Datchet, Berkshire, which has left most of its streets under water

Disruption: A man and woman walk across the flooded railway line at Datchet train station in Berkshire

Devastated area: Rubbish and debris collects in flood waters around the village of Burrowbridge, Somerset

In a line: Swans swim on floodwater from Pocklington Canal, near Sutton-upon-Derwent in East Yorkshire

‘As
the Prime Minister has said, all available resources are being brought
to bear to help those still struggling as a result of the floods.’

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO 'POINT THE FINGER OF BLAME', SAYS CLEGG

Nick Clegg has said now is not the
time to ‘point the finger of blame’ as the row over the handling of the
flooding crisis gripping the south of England intensifies.

The Deputy Prime Minister insisted the priority was for everybody to work together to get through the problem.

‘There
will be a time and a place when we can decide who should have done
what, when and whose responsibility for what decision lay where,’ he
said during a visit to Somerset.

‘I
don't think now is the time to point the finger of blame. Chris Smith
and the Environment Agency have got a very difficult job to do. We can
in the future look back and decide what went right and what went wrong.

‘It
is very clear, for instance, now that the calls here locally for the
dredging of some of the local rivers, while it would not have been a
magic wand solution, clearly should have been done over the last few
years.

‘Certainly I
don't think that the people I have met here overnight and this morning, I
think what they are more interested in is who's not blaming who, but
how people are working together to ensure their businesses are back to
full strength and their homes are kept safe and their homes are back to
full operation.’

Mr
Clegg was the latest politician to visit the flood-hit Somerset Levels,
following trips by Prime Minister David Cameron and UK Independence
Party leader Nigel Farage.

He
met local people and businesses who have been affected by the
devastating flooding that has hit the Somerset Levels, including
business-owner John Davison, who runs Burrowbridge-based engineering
firm Airtech.

Mr Clegg
said: ‘I've been here overnight and I've spoken to some families and
businesses that have been affected and it's obviously had a devastating
impact upon the local community.

‘I
think what we need to do now is that the Government needs to strain
every sinew, as we now are, but people need to pull together, which they
are in heroic fashion in Somerset.’

The Ministry of Defence has put 1,600 personnel on six hours' notice to help in the south.

Surrey
Police and Thames Valley Police have issued safety advice to residents
in their area expected to be affected by flooding. A
spokesman for Surrey Police said up to 2,500 homes are at risk of
flooding and added that military assistance is being provided.

The
Prime Minister, speaking after chairing a meeting of the Government's
Cobra emergency committee yesterday, said he had ‘made clear again that
every resource is available to the local communities affected’.

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Ed Davey insisted ‘blame games’ were not the right focus for ministers. ‘The
Government is focused on helping the people, the communities, the
businesses who are struggling because of this weather, these floods,’ he
told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

‘That
has got to be our focus. Blame games I'm afraid are really not the
focus. The Prime Minister's doing that, I will be doing that and I think
the whole Government needs to do that.’ He added: ‘Eric is playing a
role with Cobra, with other ministers to make sure the Government gets
the help needed.’

An EA
spokesman said engineers were ‘working 24/7’ to pump water from
flood-affected communities in Somerset, where overnight rainfall has
seen levels rise still further. He said: ‘We're expecting the water
levels to rise as the rain comes in, but we're working around the
clock.’

The EA said the rise
was not considered ‘significant’ on top of the amount of rainfall
already saturating parts of the Somerset Levels. The spokesman said
further updates would be available later in the morning, but that the
‘main focus’ was now on the Thames.

The
EA has issued a number of severe weather warnings in the Home Counties
along the banks of the River Thames. Communities in Berkshire and Surrey
have been been told to expect flooded properties from today.

More
than a dozen severe flood warnings have been issued along the River
Thames from Datchet to Shepperton Green, including Ham Court and
Chertsey, as river levels in the area are extremely high and are
forecast to continue to rise.

In
the South West, a further two severe flood warnings remain in force at
Saltmoor and Northmoor, including Moorland, and for the A361, East Lyng
to Burrowbridge, as flooding continues on the Somerset Levels.

Over
the past week, more than 600 homes have flooded, although some 180,000
properties have been protected from flooding and 138,000 properties have
been sent a free flood warning, the EA said.

Unison
national officer Matthew Lay said: ‘The attack on the Environment
Agency by Eric Pickles is simply a smoke screen to hide the reality that
Government cuts to staff and resources have contributed to the
devastation caused by severe flooding in parts of England.

‘Continued
funding cuts will see staff levels at the agency reduced by a quarter
since the coalition came to power in 2010. This sort of reduction
compromises the ability of the Environment Agency to respond to
emergencies as there is simply not enough staff on the ground to manage a
prolonged incident.

‘Environment
Agency staff have been working around the clock in difficult
circumstances for more than seven weeks now, only to be attacked by
Conservative politicians covering up their own reckless decision-making
which has brought these matters to a head.

‘We
need to see long-term investment in the Environment Agency, and staff
should be left to get on with the job without the interference of
politicians who are all too keen to jump on a bandwagon of blame instead
of accepting responsibility.’

Shadow
environment secretary Maria Eagle said: ‘With water levels rising and
thousands of homes at risk, it is unbelievable that ministers have
embarked on an internal blame game instead of focusing on helping the
communities affected by the floods.

‘The
fact is that David Cameron approved a reckless slashing of Britain's
flood defence capacity after the election, and the Environment Secretary
has repeatedly ignored warnings from experts that a failure to dredge
had left the Somerset Levels vulnerable to extreme flooding.

‘Instead
of blaming officials for their decisions and now turning on each other
like ferrets in a sack, ministers must get a grip on this worsening
situation.’

The bad weather appears to have also
taken its toll on parts of Britain's coastline, with a cliff fall
recorded at Seaford Head, near Eastbourne, in East Sussex.

In need of assistance: Flood water continues to rise in Datchet, Berkshire, after the River Thames burst it's banks

Getting on with their day: Locals wade through flood water in Datchet, Berkshire, after the River Thames burst it's banks

Novel way to get around: This man was picture holding onto a Ford pick-up after the village of Datchet in Berkshire was flooded

Tricky time for all: Locals look at flooded railway lines after the River Thames burst its banks in Datchet

Danger: Another Network Rail image of damage caused to track near Stonegate, Sussex following a landslip as the bad weather continues around the UK

Water on the road: Swans on South Parade in Worcester this morning as flooding continues to affect parts of the UK

Improvised: A resident wearing homemade waders carries a dog through floodwater as residents begin to evacuate homes in Wraybury, Berkshire

Onward journey: A resident walks through flood water in Wraybury, Berkshire. The Environment Agency has 14 severe flood warnings in place along the Thames

Members of
the nearby Newhaven RNLI urged people to stay away from the cliff edge
as the area remained unstable.

PM'S PRAISE FOR EA AND MILITARY

Prime Minister David Cameron praised the EA and the military today as he saw them at work shoring up essential flood defences.

During a visit to Chesil Beach, which connects Portland with the Dorset mainland, Mr Cameron was shown how the 39 Engineer Regiment from Kinloss in Scotland was working together with EA staff to build up the sea defences.

Mr Cameron (above) gave his backing to the EA and would not be drawn on giving his opinion on whether Lord Smith should stay in his position at the head of the agency.

Up to a third of the shingle which makes up the sea wall at Chesil Beach has been washed away in recent heavy storms.

Mr Cameron said: ‘Here on Chesil Beach and in Portland we can see the EA and the military clearly pulling their weight and making a huge difference and that (military involvement) frees up the EA to do even more work.’

Responding
to the Met Office's assertion that climate change almost certainly lies
behind the storms, Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Guy
Shrubsole said Britain needed to burn less gas, coal and oil.

He
said: ‘With thousands of households still stricken by flooding, this
fresh assessment of Britain's changing climate is a warning siren that
cannot be ignored.

‘The
Met Office is emphatic that a warming world will lead to more intense
downpours, that storminess has increased and that rising sea levels will
climb still further in the years ahead.

‘It's
clear that the best form of insurance we have against worse floods and
other extreme weather threats in the future is to burn less gas, coal
and oil.’

Residents in Staines were woken by
telephone flood alerts today as the River Thames submerged a footpath
and began to move towards homes on Laleham Road.

Denise
Bristow, 63, said: ‘We've been living here for 30 years and we've never
seen it so high. We got a phone call from the Environment Agency at
7.30am with a flood alert. It is concerning. What will happen if it gets
into the houses? You can't move everything. What if you've got heavy
furniture?’

Her
husband, Fred, 65, was keen to make the most of the situation though. I
came out to get a few photographs to catch something different,’ he
said.

Elsewhere, an earth
bank has been built to protect the town of Bridgwater, on the edge of
the Somerset Levels, from flooding. The
Environment Agency said an ‘earth bund’ had been built between the
Bridgwater and Taunton canal and the River Parrett in Huntworth.

A spokesman said it means ‘outlying
properties in Bridgwater are not at risk’. The agency said water levels
on flood-hit Northmoor are continuing to rise, but at a slower rate than
on Sunday. On Currymoor, water levels are dropping at the rate of 1mm
an hour, a spokesman said.

But it emerged later that the barrier had been vandalised. The EA tweeted: 'Our temporary flood
defences in Bridgwater have been vandalised. If you see anything
suspicious please call Crimestoppers.'

Somerset
County Council said a further 20,000 sandbags were ready to be deployed
after staff and Royal Marines from 40 Commando had spent the weekend
preparing them.

Council leader John Osman said: 'Our
main aim is to keep residents and their property as safe as possible.
These additional 20,000 sandbags will help towards these efforts.
Floodwater is still rising and more than 150 homes are at risk of
flooding in Somerset.

'We
are working tirelessly, 24/7, to ensure residents are safe, our roads
are as clear as they can be in these difficult circumstances. Schools
are open, school buses can operate and vulnerable people receive the
care and services they need.’

A
Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘Military personnel, currently
mostly Royal Marines, continue to provide support in Somerset in areas
affected by floods as part of cross-government and multi-agency relief
efforts.

‘As the Prime
Minister has said, all available resources are being brought to bear to
help those still struggling as a result of the floods.’

No play today: Worcester looking over towards New Road cricket ground with the cathedral in the distance this morning as flooding continues to affect the UK

Submerged: Flooding at the cricket ground in Worcester after the River Severn bursts its banks

Towers and spires: Flooding in Worcester as the River Severn bursts its banks. Thousands of homes along the Thames are threatened with flooding

That's not cricket: Flooding in Worcester, one of the many places in England to have been affected by the severe recent weather

Covered in water: Another view of the flooding at the cricket ground in Worcester after the River Severn bursts its banks

Making a splash: A car drives through flood water on the main road after the River Thames burst its banks in Datchet, Berkshire

Elsewhere: Residents in Wrexham, North Wales, woke up to a blanket of snow as severe storms continue to batter the UK

In Brecon, Wales: Wintery conditions on the B4560 mountain road between Ebbw Vale and Llangyidr. Snow fell overnight following days of rain and flooding

White landscape: Another view on the B4560 mountain road between Ebbw Vale and Llangyidr in Brecon, Wales

On the board: A Cairngorm mountain ski resort in Scotland where it has snowed for 60 of the last 64 days

Down we go: This ski resort in the Cairngorms was a busy sight today as snow-lovers headed for the hills

In flood-hit Surrey, horse enthusiast Jenny Andersson has
had to put down her animals after successive floods left her with spiralling
costs and nowhere to keep them sheltered.

Ms Andersson, 53, made the ‘hard decision’ to have the four
horses put down last week after floods swept through the stables she leased,
yet again. The stables in Esher, which she had used for the past 13
years, had flooded several times - most recently in mid-January.

She said: ‘There wasn't any ideal solution. It was a very,
very hard decision to make. My lease was due for renewal at the end of
February, and it wasn't safe for the horses.

‘The stables were under water. There was nowhere safe on the
farm for them to go. I could have put them in livery but that would have been
very, very expensive and a compromise.’

She praised the efforts of the Environment Agency who she
said had been ‘brilliant’ in turning out over Christmas to help with the
floods.

Blown away: High winds over the weekend ripped the roof off a four-storey block of flats in Southampton and the roof crashed onto cars parked 40ft below

Relief effort: Royal Navy and Environmental Agency workers building flood defences in Datchet, Berkshire, to redirect the flow of the river

Sandbags: In the village of Datchet, members of
the military have been building up defences to try to divert water and
protect homes

Problems: Flooding in Datchet, a village next to the Thames near Windsor in Berkshire, has forced National Rail to cancel trains this morning

Worries: Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said areas near the Thames are expected to suffer ¿significant¿ problems by the middle of the week. Datchet is pictured

Prepared: Emergency work to prevent flooding continues - including the distribution of tens of thousands more sandbags by the Royal Marines. Datchet is pictured

Getting ready: A woman holds her dog as she stands next to sandbags outside her home in Datchet (left), where flood defences were being placed (right)

Stacked up: Thousands of homes along the River Thames were today preparing for 'significant flooding'. Datchet is pictured

Richard Fox, 67, said: ‘I have lived in Staines all my life and as far as I'm aware this is just about as bad as it's ever been.’ He went on: ‘The Thames Path which runs all the way along is completely obliterated.’

A mother and daughter were rescued by a fire brigade boat after their home in Staines became cut off by water. Sujata Jolly, 65, said: ‘The water was almost up to my neck. We have been stranded for a week.’

Her daughter, Sapna Jolly, 40, added: ‘Outside our house the water level is 6ft high. It was quite concerning. We wanted to come out as soon as we could with the weather turning tomorrow.’

Residents in Bucklebury, the Berkshire village where the Duchess of Cambridge's parents Michael and Carole Middleton live in a country mansion, were on sandbag alert today as the River Pang burst its banks and flooded the area.

The Environment Agency said fast-flowing water just 6in deep is powerful enough to knock an adult off their feet. Close to the Middletons' mansion is Bucklebury Ford, where the normally-placid Pang flows across the road before it joins the River Kennet, a tributary of the River Thames.

MEANWHILE, UP NORTH... RESERVOIRS NEAR BRITAIN'S 'RAINIEST' CITY ARE STILL NOT EVEN FULL

Large parts of England may have endured some of the wettest weather since records began - yet these pictures show reservoirs near Britain's ‘rainiest’ city are still not even full.

Despite wet weather crippling the South and warnings of more to come, rainfall near Manchester - traditionally the butt of jokes over its miserable climate - is only said to have been ‘above average’ over the past two months.

Local Pennine reservoirs including Dovestone near Oldham - which appeared to look depleted last summer - are 92 per cent full, which is said to be ‘normal.’

Still space: Pennine reservoirs including Dovestone near Oldham in Greater Manchester are 92 per cent full, which is said to be 'normal'

According to United Utilities, the North West had 7.8in of rain in January, compared to a January average of 5in - and up to three times less rainfall than other parts of the UK.

In December the rainfall in the North West was 5.6in compared to normal 5.5in. November was drier than normal. Reservoirs in Cumbria, are at 97.7 per cent full compared to 94 per cent last year, which is the average figure.

Giant plughole: Walkers pause to watch thousands of gallons of overflow water plunge down a bellmouth spillway shaft in Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire

Network Rail (NR) has ‘long been in complete denial’ about the vulnerability of the Dawlish sea wall in Devon to severe storm damage, according to a passenger group.

The collapse of the wall and the damage to the track has severely affected rail services in south west England, with repairs expected to take at least six weeks.

NR thought it could ‘engineer its way’ out of the problem but ‘Nature knows better’, said rail passenger watchdog TravelWatch SouthWest.

Repair job: A Network Rail photograph of the breakwater made from shipping containers as repairs continue on the damaged part of the track at Dawlish, Devon

It added that a passenger group report in 2004 had recommended the opening of a diversionary rail route to ensure against problems at Dawlish.

INSURERS FACE £500M BILL FROM EXTREME WEATHER IN BRITAIN

Insurers are facing a £500million bill from the extreme autumn and winter weather - putting it on par with the big freeze of 2010, it emerged today.

Claims have continued to mount after around 1,300 properties were flooded in the run-up to the New Year at an average cost of £30,000 to £40,000.

A further 270 flooded properties have been reported last weekend alone, according to professional services firm Deloitte.

Deloitte insurance partner James Rakow said: ‘The flood and storms that we have witnessed since the St Jude storm in October last year threaten to seriously dent the profits made by insurers for the year as a whole, potentially forcing many to recoup costs by raising property insurance premiums.’

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) had pencilled in £426million worth of claims from storms and flooding over the Christmas and New Year period.

It said it was too early to say whether the ongoing deluge will result in higher premiums, but added that the industry is geared up for dealing with claims of this magnitude.

A spokesman said: ‘It will take weeks or months for some of these badly flooded properties to fully dry out and repairs to commence, so we won't know the full cost for a little while yet.’

TravelWatch SouthWest (TWSW) went on: ‘Had the recommendation in that 2004 report been heeded, the studies would already have been completed, and a clear preferred diversionary route might now be available.’

TWSW added that ‘for too long the Whitehall view of the south west has ended at Bristol’ and unless investment was made there would be ‘a significant and long-lasting negative impact on the economies of Devon and Cornwall’.

TWSW chairman Professor Frank Chambers said: ‘As for NR, it has for long been in complete denial about the vulnerability of the Dawlish sea wall to severe storm damage.

‘Until last week, it thought it could engineer its way out of the threat. Nature knows better, and has given Network Rail a very stark and salutary lesson.’

He went on: ‘Rail passengers, the business community and tourists in the south west need assurance that the Government and rail bosses will really now get a proper grip.

‘The loss of income and earnings in south and west Devon and in Cornwall over the next few weeks and months, while the Dawlish route is restored, already exceeds the cost of building a diversionary route.

‘While we are grateful to train operators for dealing swiftly with changing and challenging conditions, it is vital to keep passengers informed.’

Prof Chambers continued: ‘We have received numerous complaints where passenger information for First Great Western customers both online and at stations has been inaccurate, misleading, confusing and contradictory, and in some cases completely unavailable.

'There should be much better contingency planning.’

NR said the water levels in the River Thames were at their highest for many years and were bringing disruption to certain routes in the area.

Flooding in the Datchet area in Berkshire and several other locations meant trains were not able to run between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside stations.

NR said water levels were expected to rise throughout the day and it is expected to be some time before the line will reopen. A replacement bus service is in operation.

Meanwhile, the line from Oxford to Didcot was disrupted, but still running, with flooding at Hinksey. Groundwater was also causing problems with equipment in the Maidenhead area, but trains were running.

NR said two of the three routes from Exeter to London - via Athelney and Crewkerne - had reopened following flooding and a landslip at the weekend, and trains were also able to run from Taunton to Exeter following the completion of engineering work at Whiteball Tunnel.

Damage: A huge length of railway track is exposed on February 5 and left hanging after the sea wall collapsed in Dawlish, Devon

The line through Bridgwater, linking Taunton to Bristol, remained closed with the flooding on the Somerset Levels.

WARNING OVER RATS PROBLEM

Pest control experts told MailOnline today that the recent flooding will cause a huge influx of rodents to leave their ruined nests and seek refuge in warmer, drier places.

Rentokil spokesman David Cross said: ‘Rats will be seeking drier harbourages and new food sources, and will look for shelter in residential homes, commercial buildings and factories.

‘Rats carry a particular health risk in flooded areas, as their urine contains leptospires which can survive outside the rodent’s body for longer periods in wet conditions.’

He advised people who have been in contact with water where rats may have been active to cover any cuts with waterproof plasters, wear waterproof gloves and avoid swallowing water.

NR
said work to protect the damaged sea wall at Dawlish continued, with a
temporary breakwater erected from rubble-filled shipping containers
enabling the start of repairs to the main area of damage.

Sussex suffered a further landslip over the weekend near Stonegate, adding to two slips that were already being repaired.

Buses are replacing trains between Wadhurst and Battle until repairs can be made.

On the criticism over Dawlish, NR said: ‘Our focus today and the weeks ahead is to repair damage to the railway as quickly as possible and re-establish the rail connection for the communities of Devon and Cornwall.

‘It is right to look at what the alternatives look like and we will take forward a professional study on this once the current situation is resolved, engaging business, local authorities, communities and the rail industry in the advantages and disadvantages of alternate routes.’

A spokesman went on: ‘We must not forget that the storm was unprecedented, and even with predictions of ongoing bad weather as they are, this will not be 'normal' by any means.

'This is the most destruction to have been caused to the Dawlish sea wall, and the wider area, since Victorian times.

‘The company has invested heavily in the sea defences in the Dawlish area having spent some £10 million over the last decade and the wall itself was in good condition, until last week's ferocious storm.’

Meanwhile National Express, which runs the London to Tilbury and Southend company c2c, handed out more than 25,000 chocolates this morning to rush-hour passengers arriving in London to apologise for recent delays on the line.

Commuters arriving from south Essex and east London got the chocolates after power problems last Tuesday evening led to a signal failure, which badly disrupted services.

Ministers should focus on dealing with the floods and forget about the infighting, PM says

David Cameron has ordered ministers to focus on dealing with devastating floods amid signs of government infighting and a ‘blame game’ with the Environment Agency.

The Prime Minister rejected calls for EA chairman Lord Smith to be sacked immediately - and said everyone should ‘get on with their jobs’ of helping those affected.

The comments, as Mr Cameron visited the badly-hit south-west of England, followed reports of a bitter clash between Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

Prime Minister David Cameron (left) speaks to Deputy General Manager Andy Mellors, during his visit to the First Great Western's Laira rail depot, in Plymouth, south west England

Prime Minister David Cameron (left) speaks to Deputy General Manager Andy Mellors, during his visit to the First Great Western's Laira rail depot, in Plymouth, south west England, which is used to service the operator's high speed trains

Dorset visit: Prime Minister David Cameron talks with members of the Environment Agency and 39 Engineers as he inspects work being carried out on Chesil Beach

Looking at the detail: The Prime Minister rejected calls for EA chairman Lord Smith to be sacked immediately

Mr Paterson is said to have complained to Downing Street after his Tory colleague issued a barbed apology yesterday for relying on the agency's advice, saying he had ‘thought we were dealing with experts’.

Both ministers have played down the apparent rift, insisting they are ‘working closely’ to respond to the crisis.

But a furious Lord Smith has hit back at Mr Pickles, saying his staff know ‘100 times more’ than any politician about flooding, and squarely blaming Treasury funding rules for the failure to dredge rivers.

Attempting to take the heat out of the spat this afternoon, Mr Cameron said: ‘I am only interested in one thing, and that is making sure that everything government can do is being done, and will go on being done to help people through this difficult time.

Inspecting the work: Mr Cameron said everyone should 'get on with their jobs' of helping those affected

Orders: Mr Cameron has told ministers to focus on dealing with devastating floods amid signs of government infighting

Trip: Communities Secretary Eric Pickles visits the site of Sutton and Easy Surrey water works in Kenley - which serves 25,000 homes, but has been flooded

‘This is a time for everyone to get on with the jobs that they have. This is not the time to change personnel here. This is the time to get on, do everything we can. I back the EA, I back the work they are doing.

‘Everyone's got to get on with the jobs they are doing.There will be time later on to talk about things. Right now everybody's got to focus on the job in hand.

‘That is the EA, every department in government, and let's not forget the emergency services and the army, who are doing a brilliant job.’